B&O BeoPlay H5 Earphones

Well, heard of the latest rumours about Apple? Apple may kill the 3.5mm audio jack for the coming iPhone 7.

So what is the impact? Market will be flooded with Bluetooth headsets? Hmmm, I think is too early to make any judgment but definitively it is worth taking note. Basically wired earphone will produce better quality sound than wireless one, take for instance, “Ethernet cable will be faster & stable than Wi-Fi”.

Unless you have a 金耳 (Golden Ears), if not I think wireless earphone still can produce decent quality sound.

BeoPlay H5, one of the best wireless in-ear earphones that B&O has ever made and not to mention about the damage. (Pricey!)

It was designed for active workouts that are splash and dust resistance. The housing of the earphones is crafted out of the textured rubber polymer, which B&O claimed to resist sweat and moisture as well as wear and tear.

Personally I won’t be using it for workout but rather as daily basis usage. For fitness workout,I would recommend Sony NW-WS413, a sports Walkman that are Waterproof and Dustproof. You can literally wash it with water after using it.

BeoPlay H5 can takes calls, listen to music or voice activation with the helps of the remote. The material of the cord is encased in braided textile – making it durable, comfortable and easy to maintain.

Since it is connected via Bluetooth (BT 4.2: supports aptX, aptX-LL and ACC codecs), charging has to takes place. B&O always looks into details and the charger won’t be exceptional. It is a magnetic cube charger, simply click in the earphone into the charging unit and two magnets hold the earphone in place while charging.

It comes with two rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries (one in each earpiece) and total capacity is 100mAH (2 x 50mAH). B&O claimed up to 5 hours playtime with approximately 2 hours of charging time.

The Feel :

The packaging looks presentable, removed the cover and you will be greeted with 2 earpieces that engraved with B&O logo on the aluminium surface.

The comfort level is good, light and the build is solid even though it is crafted out of rubber polymer. The only drawback is the left side of the earbuds keep coming out from my ear.

The remote control is attached on the left side, which I believe it added some weight on it. It can be resolved by finding the correct ear tips but still not as secured as my right side. Wireless earphone is much more convenient as compared to wired. You don’t have to worry that cable will tangle with your bags or your shirt’s buttons.

Turn off earphone (Simply connect the two magnetic ends of the earbuds. A sound is heard & indicator fades out.)

Sound quality :

B&O doesn’t compromise with the BeoPlay H5, indeed, it did put a smile on me! The mid & high is decent and bass is well controlled and defined, not muddy. The sound profiles can be customized to individual preference using the BeoPlay App.

The ToneTouch divided into 4 areas: WARM, EXCITED, RELAXED & BRIGHT. There is a circular button, you can move it around to adjust the sound profile and the presents can be saved to your own likings.

You can control the soundstage by pinching gesture. (The bigger the circle, the wider the soundstage)

The graphical equalizer :

ToneTouch, B&O made it very interesting in customizing the sound profile. The inline remote button tactile can be better; sometimes will accidentally press the wrong button. I’m trying to adapt the needs of charging the earphone after using 3.5mm jack for decades.

Summary

Overall, B&O signature sound still lived up its reputation. It also offered quality sound & convenience, you can just take them out and click the magnet together and wear them around your neck. Although it is quite pricey, considered an in-ear but I would say it is a good investment. (SGD $379)